PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION – SWAMI SIVANANDHA

Attention

You must evince good interest in the practice of concentration. Then

only your whole attention will be directed towards the object upon
which you wish to concentrate. There can be really no concentration
without a remarkable degree of interest and attention shown by the
practitioner. You must, therefore, know what these two words mean.

Attention is steady application of the mind. It is focussing of

consciousness on some chosen object. Through attention you can
develop your mental faculties and capacities. Where there is
attention, there is also concentration. Attention should be cultivated
gradually. It is not a special process. It is the whole mental process in
one of its aspects.

Perception always involves attention. To perceive is to attend.

Through attention you get a clear and distinct knowledge of objects.
The entire energy is focussed on the object towards which attention is
directed. Full and complete information is gained. During attention all
the dissipated rays of the mind are collected. There is effort or
struggle in attention. Through attention a deeper impression of
anything is made in the mind. If you have good attention, you can
attend to the matter in hand exclusively. An attentive man has very
good memory. He is very vigilant and circumspect. He is nimble and
alert.

Attention plays a very great part in concentration. It is the basis of the

will. When it is properly guided and directed towards the internal
world for the purpose of introspection, it will analyse the mind and
illumine very many astounding facts for you.

Attention is focussing of consciousness. Attention (Avadhana) plays a

conspicuous part in concentration. It is one of the signs of trained will.
It is found in men of strong mentality. It is a rare faculty.
Brahmacharya wonderfully develops this power. A Yogi who possesses
this faculty can even fix the mind on an unpleasant object for a very
long time. It is easy to fasten the mind on an object which the mind
likes best. Attention can be cultivated and developed by persistent
practice. All the great men of the world who have achieved greatness
have risen up through this faculty.

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Throw your entire attention into whatever you happen to be doing at
the moment. Practise attention on unpleasant tasks from which you
have been shrinking before on account of their unpleasantness. Throw
interest upon uninteresting objects and ideas. Hold them on before
your mind. Interest will slowly manifest. Many mental weakness will
vanish. The mind will become stronger and stronger.

The force wherewith anything strikes the mind, is generally in

proportion to the degree of attention bestowed upon it. Moreover the
great art of memory is attention; inattentive people have bad
memories.

The human mind has the power of attending to only one object at a
time, although it is able to pass from one object to another with a
marvellous degree of speed, so rapidly in fact, that some have held
that it could grasp several things at a time. But the best authorities,
eastern and western, hold to the "single idea" theory as being correct.
It agrees with one's daily experience also.

If you analyse carefully the mental functions or operations, no one

process can be singled out and called attention. It is not possible to
separate attention as a distinct function. You observe something;
therefore you are attentive.

Attention belongs to every state of consciousness and is present in

every field of consciousness. An attentive student in the spiritual path
can do hearing (Sravana) of the Srutis in an efficient manner. The
military officer says "attention," and the soldier is ready with his gun to
carry out his behests. An attentive soldier alone can hit the mark. No
one can get success either in temporal or spiritual pursuits without
attention.

There are Yogis who can do eight or ten or even hundred things at a
time. This is not strange. The whole secret lies in the fact that they
have developed their attention to a remarkable degree. All the great
men of the world do possess this faculty in varying degrees.

Attention is of two kinds, viz., external attention and internal

attention. When the attention is directed towards external objects, it
is called external attention. When it is directed internally within the
mind upon mental objects and ideas, it is known as internal attention.

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There are again two other kinds of attention viz., voluntary attention
and involuntary attention. When the attention is directed towards
some external objects by an effort of the will, it is called voluntary
attention. When you have an express volition to attend to this or that,
it is called voluntary attention. The man understands why he
perceives. Some deliberate intention, incentive, goal or purpose is
definitely involved. Voluntary attention needs effort, will,
determination and some mental training. This is cultivated by practice
and perseverance. The benefits derived by the practice of attention
are incalculable. Involuntary attention is quite common. This does not
demand any practice. There is no effort of the will. The attention is
induced by the beauty and attractive nature of the object. Individuals
perceive without knowing why and without observed instruction. Young
children possess this power of involuntary attention to a greater
degree than grown up people.

If a man is not observant, he is not attentive. If he observes

something, he is said to be attentive. Intention, purpose, hope,
expectation, desire, belief, wish, knowledge, aim, goal and needs
serve to determine attention. You will have to note carefully the
degree, duration, range, forms, fluctuations and conflicts of attention.

There is great attention, if the object is very pleasing. You will have to
create interest. Then there will be attention. If the attention gets
diminished, change your attention to another pleasant object. By
patient training you can direct the mind to attend to an unpleasant
object also by creating interest. Then your will will grow strong.

If you closely watch, you will note that you observe different objects
at different times. This perception of now one object and now
another, when the physical conditions are constant, is known as
fluctuation of attention. Attention is changing. The objects themselves
change or fluctuate but there is no fluctuation in the observing
individual himself. The mind has not been trained to bear prolonged
attention. It gets disgusted through monotony and wants to run
towards some other pleasing object. You may say, "I am going to
attend to one thing only," but you will soon find that even though you
attempt very hard, you suddenly perceive something else. The
attention wavers.

Interest develops attention. It is difficult to fix the mind on an

uninteresting object. When a professor is lecturing, when the subject
is abstract and metaphysical, many people leave the hall quietly

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because they cannot attend to a subject which is not interesting. But if
the same professor sings and tells some interesting and thrilling
stories, all people hear him with rapt attention. There is pindrop
silence. Lecturers should know the art of attracting the minds of
hearers. They will have to change the tone to talk with force and
emphasis. They will have to watch the audience and see whether they
are attentive or not. They will have to change the subject-matter for a
short while and bring in some nice stories and suitable illustrations.
They will have to look at the hearers directly in their eyes. So many
things are necessary if one wants to become a successful lecturer, if
one wants to make the hearers attentive.

Napoleon, Gladstone, Arjuna and Jnanadeva had all wonderful power

of attention. They could fix their minds on any object. All scientists
and occultists possess attention to a remarkable degree. They cultivate
it by patient, regular and systematic practice. A judge and a surgeon
can get positive success in their respective professions only if they are
endowed with the power of attention to a high degree.

When you do any work, plunge yourself in it. Forget yourself. Lose the
self. Concentrate upon the work. Shut out all other thoughts. When
you do one thing, do not think of any other thing. When you study one
book, do not think of any other book. Fix the mind there steadily like
the arrow-maker who had no consciousness of his surroundings.
Eminent scientists are so busy and attentive in their experiments and
researches in their laboratories that they forget to take food even for
days together. Once a scientist was very busy at his work. His wife who
was living in another district had a serious calamity. She came running
up to him to the laboratory with profuse tears in her eyes. Strange to
say, the scientist was not a bit agitated. He was so very attentive at
his work that he even forgot that she was his own wife. He said,
"Madam! weep for some more time. Let me make chemical analysis of
your tears."

Once some gentleman invited Sir Isaac Newton for dinner. Newton
repaired to his host's bungalow and took his seat in the drawing room.
The gentleman forgot all about Newton, took his dinner and retired to
his bed. Newton was amusing within himself very absorbedly on some
important point of science. He did not stir from his seat. He forgot all
about his dinner and remained in the same chair like a statue for a
long time. The next morning the host saw Newton in the drawing-room
and then only remembered his having invited him for dinner. He felt
sorry for his forgetfulness and apologised to Sir Isaac in a meek voice.

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What a wonderful power of attention Sir Isaac Newton had! All
geniuses possess this power to an infinite degree.

According to Prof. James we attend to things because they are very

interesting. But Prof. Pillsbury is of the opinion that things are
interesting because we attend to them or because we are likely to
attend to them. We do not attend to them if they are not interesting.

By constant practice and ever-renewed effort of attention a subject

that, in the beginning, was dry and uninteresting may become full of
interest when you master it and learn its meaning and its issues. The
power of concentrating your attention on the subject may become
stronger.

When a great misfortune has befallen you, or when you pass in review
a certain course of conduct in order to find out the cause of failure, it
may take possession of your mind to such a degree that no effort of
the will can make you cease from thinking over it. An article has to be
written, a book is in the process of preparation; the work is carried on
even if there is loss of sleep, and you are unable to tear yourself away
from it. The attention which began voluntarily has taken entire hold of
the field of consciousness.

If you possess strong power of attention, anything that the mind

receives will be deeply impressed. An attentive man only can develop
his will. A mixture of attention, application and interest can work
wonders. There is no doubt of this. A man of ordinary intellect with
highly developed attention can turn out more work than a highly
intellectual man who has a poor attention. Failure in anything is mainly
due to lack of attention. If you attend to one thing at a time, you will
get profound knowledge of that subject in its various aspects. The
ordinary untrained man of the world generally attends to several things
at a time. He allows many things to enter the gates of his mental
factory. That is the reason why he has a clouded or turbid mind. There
is no clarity of thought. He cannot do the process of analysis and
synthesis. He is bewildered. He cannot express his ideas clearly,
whereas the disciplined man can attend to a subject exclusively as long
as he likes. He extracts full and detailed information about one subject
or object and then takes up another. Attention is an important faculty
of a Yogi.

You cannot attend to two different objects at a time. Mind can do only
one thing at a time. Because it moves with such a tremendous velocity

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backwards and forwards, you think that the mind can attend to several
objects or things at a time. You can only see or hear at a time. You
cannot see and hear at the same time. But this law is not applicable to
a developed Yogi. A developed Yogi can do several things at a time
because his will is not separate from the Cosmic Will which is all-
powerful.

Concentration in Every Walk of Life

Concentration is a very important qualification for a beginner in the

spiritual path. Concentration is required not only in the spiritual path
but also in every walk of life. A man without concentration is a failure
in life.

Concentration in a spiritual sense means the one-pointedness of the

mind. It is the fixing of one's mind on the Ishta Devata or the deity of
one's choice. To attain concentration you should drive off all useless
thoughts of the world. You must be entirely free from all base desires
of a worldly nature. You should substitute divine thoughts in their
stead.

Meditation follows concentration. Samadhi follows meditation.

Jivanmukti state follows the attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi which is
free from all thoughts of duality. Jivanmukti leads to emancipation
from the wheel of birth and death. Therefore concentration is the first
and foremost thing a Sadhaka or aspirant should acquire in the spiritual
path.

Every little act demands concentration and your whole- hearted

attention. If you want to pass a thread through the eye of the needle
you must remove all fibres that are disjointed. Then you must make it
a single fibre and with great care and one-pointed thought pass the
thread into the needle.

When you climb a mountain or get down a steep descent you will have
to be very careful. Otherwise you will have a slip and fall into the deep
abyss below. When you ride a bicycle, you talk to your friends on the
road, a motor-car will dash against you from behind. If you are a bit
absent-minded when you walk on the road, you will strike against a
stone and fall down. A careless barber will cut the nose of his
customer. A careless washerman will burn the clothes of his master. A
sleepy aspirant will dash his head against the wall or fall down

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prostrate on the ground. Therefore you must develop attention.
Attention leads to concentration.

Fix your mind on the work at hand. Give your complete heart and soul
to it. Let it be even a small work like peeling off the skin on a plantain
fruit or squeezing a lemon. Never do anything haphazardly. Never take
your meals in haste. Be calm and patient in all your actions. Never
arrive at hasty conclusions. Never do a thing in haste. No work can be
done successfully without calmness and concentration. Those who have
attained success and become great have all possessed this
indispensable virtue.

You will be successful in every attempt. You will never meet with
failure if you can do your work with perfect attention and
concentration. When you sit for prayers and meditation never think of
your office-work. When you work in the office never think of the child
who is sick or any other household work. When you take bath do not
think of games. When you sit for meals do not think of the work that is
pending in the office. You must train yourself to attend to the work on
hand with perfect one-pointedness. You can easily develop your will-
power and memory. Concentration is the master-key to open the gates
of victory. If an ordinary man takes one hour to do a work, a man of
good concentration will accomplish it in half an hour with better
efficiency than the former. You will become a mighty man.

You must know very well the science of relaxation of the mind. You
must be able to eliminate all other thoughts from the mind. You must
think of rest only. You should consider yourself as if you were dead.
Mentally repeat the names of the Lord and think of the Ananda aspect
of His attribute. You will not have dreams. You will rest in blissful
sleep. You will be refreshed very easily. Even if you sleep for two hours
you would feel quite refreshed.

Gist of Yoga of Concentration

It is very difficult to say where concentration ends and meditation

begins. Meditation follows concentration. Purify the mind first through
the practice of Yama and Niyama. Then take to the practice of
Dharana. Concentration without purity is of no use.

Concentration is steadfastness of mind. If you remove all causes of

distraction, your power of concentration will increase. A true

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Brahmachari who has preserved his Virya will have powerful
concentration. Attention plays a prominent part in concentration. He
who has developed his power of attention will have good
concentration. You should be able to visualise very clearly the object
of concentration even in its absence. You must call up the mental
picture in a moment's notice. If you have good practice in
concentration you can do this without difficulty. He who has gained
success in Pratyahara (abstraction) by withdrawing the Indriyas from
the various objects will have good concentration. You will have to
march in the spiritual path step by step, stage by stage. Lay the
foundation of Yama (right conduct), Niyama, Asana (posture),
Pranayama and Pratyahara to start with. The superstructure of
Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi will be
successful then only.

Asana is Bahiranga Sadhana (external); Dhyana is Antaranga Sadhana

(internal). When compared with Dhyana and Samadhi, even Dharana is
Bahiranga Sadhana. He who has steady Asana and has purified Yoga-
Nadis and the Pranamaya Kosha (vital sheath) through Pranayama will
be able to concentrate easily. You can concentrate internally on any of
the seven plexus or Chakras or centres of spiritual energy viz.,
Muladhara, Svadhishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna and
Sahasrara, or on the tip of the nose, or on the tip of the tongue or
externally on the picture of any Devata, Hari, Hara, Krishna or Devi.
You can concentrate on the 'tik-tik' sound of a watch or on the flame of
a candle, or on a black point of a wall, or on a pencil or rose flower or
any pleasing object. This is concrete concentration (Sthoola). There
can be no concentration without something upon which the mind may
rest. The mind can be fixed easily on a pleasing object such as jasmine
flower, mango or orange or a loving friend. It is difficult to fix the
mind in the beginning on any object which it dislikes such as faecal
matter, cobra, enemy, ugly face, etc. Practise concentration till the
mind is well established in the object of concentration. When the mind
runs away from the object of concentration, bring it back again and
again to the object. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "Yato yato nischarati
manas-chanchalam-asthiram, Tatastato niyamyaitad-atmanyeva vasam
nayet-As often as the wavering and unsteady mind goes forth, so often
reining it in, let him bring it under the control of the Self."

If you want to increase your power of concentration, you will have to

reduce your worldly activities (Vyavahara-Kshaya). You will have to
observe Mouna (vow of silence) also for two hours daily. A man whose
mind is filled with passion and all sorts of fantastic desires can hardly
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concentrate on any object even for a second. His mind will be jumping
like a balloon. Regulate and master the breath. Subdue the senses and
fix the mind on any pleasing object. Associate the ideas of holiness and
purity with the object.

You can concentrate on the space between the two eyebrows (Trikuti).
You can concentrate on the mystic sounds (Anahata Dhvani) that you
hear from your right ear. You can concentrate on 'Om' picture. The
picture of Lord Krishna with flute in hand and the picture of Lord
Vishnu with conch, discus, mace and lotus are very good for
concentration. You can concentrate on the picture of your Guru or any
saint. Vedantins try to fix the mind on Atman, the Inner Self. This is
their Dharana.

Dharana is the Sixth stage or limb of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga of

Patanjali Maharshi. In Dharana you will have only one Vritti or wave in
the mind-lake. The mind assumes the form of only one object. All
other operations of the mind are suspended or stopped. He who can
practise real concentration for half or one hour will have tremendous
psychic powers. His will also will be very powerful.

When Hatha Yogis concentrate their minds on Shadadhara or the six

supports (the Shat-Chakras), they concentrate their minds on the
respective presiding Devatas also, viz., Ganesha, Brahma, Vishnu,
Rudra, Isvara and Sadasiva. Control the breath through Pranayama.
Subdue the Indriyas through Pratyahara. And then fix the mind either
on Saguna or Nirguna Brahman. According to the Hatha Yogic School, a
Yogi who can suspend his breath by Kumbhaka for 20 minutes can have
very good Dharana. He will have a very tranquil mind. Pranayama
steadies the mind, removes Vikshepa (distraction) and increases the
power of concentration. Those who practise Khechari Mudra by cutting
the frenum lingua and lengthening the tongue and fixing it in the hole
beyond the palate by taking upwards, will have good Dharana.

Those who can practise concentration evolve quickly. They can do any
work with scientific accuracy and great efficiency. What others do in
six hours can be done by one who has concentration within half an
hour. What others can read in six hours, can be read by one who has
concentration within half an hour. Concentration purifies and calms
the surging emotions, strengthens the current of thought and clarifies
the ideas. Concentration helps a man in his material progress also. He
will have a very good outturn of work in his office or business-house.
What was cloudy and hazy before becomes clear and definite. What

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was difficult before becomes easy now and what was complex,
bewildering and confusing before comes easily within the mental
grasp. You can achieve anything through concentration. Nothing is
impossible to a man who practises regular concentration. It is very
difficult to practise concentration when one is hungry and when one is
suffering from an acute disease. He who practises concentration will
possess very good health and very clear mental vision.

Retire into a quiet room; sit in Padmasana. Close your eyes. See what
happens when you concentrate on an apple. You may think of its
colour, shape, size and its different parts such as skin, pulp, seeds,
etc. You may think of the places (Australia or Kashmir) wherefrom it is
imported. You may think of its acidic or sweet taste and its effects on
the digestive system and blood. Through law of association, ideas of
some other fruits also may try to enter. The mind may entertain some
other extraneous ideas. It may begin to wander about. It may think of
meeting a friend at the railway station at 4 p.m. It may think of
purchasing a towel or a tin of tea and biscuits. It may ponder over
some unpleasant happening that occurred the previous day. You must
try to have a definite line of thought. There must not be any break in
the line of thinking. You must not allow other thoughts which are not
connected with the object on hand to enter. You will have to struggle
hard to get success in this direction. The mind will try its level best to
run in the old grooves and take its old familiar road or old beaten path.
The attempt is somewhat like going uphill. You will rejoice when you
get even some success in concentration. Just as laws of gravitation,
cohesion, etc., operate in the physical plane, so also definite laws of
thought, such as law of continuity, etc., operate in the mental plane
or thought-world. Those who practise concentration should thoroughly
understand these laws. When the mind thinks of an object, it may
think of its qualities and its parts also. When it thinks of a cause, it
may think of its effect also.

If you read with concentration the Bhagavad-Gita, the Ramayana, or

the 11th Skandha of Bhagavata several times you will get new ideas
each time. Through concentration you will get penetrative insight.
Subtle esoteric meanings will flash out in the field of mental
consciousness. You will understand the inner depths of philosophical
significance. When you concentrate on any object do not wrestle with
the mind. Avoid tension anywhere in the body or mind. Think gently of
the object in a continuous manner. Do not allow the mind to wander
away.

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If emotions disturb you during concentration, do not mind them. They
will pass away soon. If you try to drive them, you will have to tax your
will-force. Have an indifferent attitude. The Vedantin uses the
formulae: "I don't care. Get out. I am Sakshi (witness of the mental
modifications)," to drive the emotions. The Bhakta simply prays and
help comes from God.

Train the mind in concentration on various subjects, gross and subtle,

and of various sizes, medium and big. In course of time a strong habit
of concentration will be formed. The moment you sit for concentration
the mood will come at once quite easily. When you read a book, you
must read it with concentration. There is no use skipping over the
pages in a hurried manner. Read one page in the Gita. Close the book.
Concentrate on what you have read. Find out parallel lines in the
Mahabharata, the Upanishads and the Bhagavata. Compare and
contrast.

For a neophyte, the practice of concentration is disgusting and tiring in

the beginning. He has to cut new grooves in the mind and brain. After
some months, he will get interest in concentration. He will enjoy a
new kind of happiness, the Concentration-Ananda. He will become
restless if he fails to enjoy this new kind of happiness even for one
day. Concentration is the only way to get rid of the worldly miseries
and tribulations. Your only duty is to practise concentration. You have
taken this physical body to practise concentration and through
concentration to realise the Self. Charity, Rajasuya Yajna are nothing
when compared to concentration. They are playthings only.

Through Vairagya, Pratyahara and practice of concentration, the

dissipated rays of wandering mind are slowly collected. Through steady
practice it is rendered one-pointed. How happy and strong is that Yogi,
who has one-pointed mind! He can turn out voluminous work in the
twinkling of an eye.

Those who practise concentration off and on will have only

occasionally a steady mind. Sometimes the mind will begin to wander
and will be quite unfit for application. You must have a mind that will
obey you at all times sincerely and carry out all your commands in the
best possible manner at any time. Steady and systematic practice of
Raja Yoga will make the mind very obedient and faithful.

There are five Yoga-Bhumikas or stages of the mind viz., Kshipta

(distracted), Mudha (dull), Vikshipta (slightly tossing), Ekagra (one-

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pointed), Niruddha (controlled or well-restrained). By gradual and
well-regulated practice of concentration daily, the rays of the
wandering mind are collected. It becomes one-pointed. Eventually it is
curbed properly. It comes under proper control.

If the aspirant pursues what is not fitting, his progress is painful and
sluggish. He who pursues the right path gets easy progress and quick
intuition. He who has no past conditions or Spiritual Samskaras of
previous birth makes painful progress. One who has spiritual Samskaras
makes easy progress. To one whose nature is actually corrupt and
whose controlling faculties are weak, progress is painful and intuition
is sluggish. But to one of keen controlling faculties, progress is rapid
and intuition is quick. In one overcome by ignorance intuition is
sluggish; in one not so overcome, intuition is rapid.

Exercises in Concentration

I. Ask your friend to show you some playing cards. Immediately after
the exposure, describe the forms you have seen. Give the number,
name, etc., such as king of clubs, ten of spades, queen of diamonds,
jack of hearts, etc.

II. Read two or three pages of a book. Then close the book. Now attend
to what you have read. Abandon all distracting thoughts. Focus your
attention carefully. Allow the mind to associate, classify, group,
combine and compare. You will get now a fund of knowledge and
information on the subject. Mere skipping over the pages inadvertently
is of no use. There are students who read a book within a few hours. If
you ask them to reproduce some important points of the book, they
will blink. If you attend to the subject on hand very carefully, you will
receive clear, strong impression. If the impressions are strong, you will
have very good memory.

III. Sit in your favourite meditative pose about one foot from a watch.
Concentrate on the 'tik-tik' sound slowly. Whenever the mind runs,
again and again try to hear the sound. Just see how long the mind can
be fixed continuously on the sound.

IV. Sit again in your favourite Asana. Close your eyes. Close the ears
with your thumbs or plug the ears with wax or cotton. Try to hear the
Anahata sounds (mystic sounds). You will hear various kinds of sounds
such as flute, violin, kettledrum, thunder-storm, conch, bells, the
humming of a bee, etc. Try to hear the gross sounds first. Hear only

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one kind of sound. If the mind runs, you can shift it from gross to
subtle, or from subtle to gross. Generally you will hear sounds in your
right ears. Occasionally you may hear in your left ear also. But try to
stick to the sound of one ear. You will get one-pointedness of mind.
This is an easy way to capture the mind, because it is enchanted by the
sweet sound, just as a snake is hypnotised by the notes of the snake-
charmer.

V. Keep a candle-flame in front of you and try to concentrate on the

flame. When you are tired of doing this, close your eyes and try to
visualise the flame. Do it for half a minute and increase the time to
five or ten minutes according to your taste, temperament and
capacity. You will see Rishis and Devatas, when you enter into deep
concentration.

VI. In a lying posture, concentrate on the moon. Whenever the mind

runs, again and again bring it back to the image of the moon. This
exercise is very beneficial in the case of some persons having an
emotional temperament.

VII. In the above manner, you can concentrate on any star you may
single out from the millions of stars shining above your head.

VIII. Sit by the side of a river where you can hear a roaring sound like
"OM." Concentrate on that sound as long as you like. This is very
thrilling and inspiring.

IX. Lie on your bed in the open air and concentrate on the blue
expansive sky above. Your mind will expand immediately. You will be
elevated. The blue sky will remind you of the infinite nature of the
Self.

X. Sit in a comfortable posture and concentrate on any one of the

numerous abstract virtues such as mercy, compassion, etc. Dwell upon
this virtue as long as you can.

Concentration on a Chair

The subject of concentration is disgusting and tiring for the neophyte.

But it is the most interesting and beneficial science in the world. When
one advances in concentration, when one takes real interest, when one
has realised some benefits, he cannot leave the practice. He cannot
remain even for a day without concentration. He becomes restless
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when he fails to have the practice. Concentration brings supreme joy,
inner spiritual strength, unalloyed felicity and infinite eternal peace.
Concentration brings profound knowledge and deep inner sight,
intuition and communion with God. It is a wonderful science in the
three worlds. I cannot adequately describe its benefits.

Concentration on a chair really means getting full, detailed knowledge

of the chair, its different parts, the particular wood out of which it is
manufactured such as Devadaru, rose wood, etc., its workmanship, its
durability, its cost price, the degree of comfort it gives for the back,
arms, etc., whether the parts can be detached and fixed again,
whether it is manufactured on modern lines and made bugproof, what
sort of polish or varnish is used to make it durable, etc. When you
concentrate on the chair, this sort of idea occupies your mind. Mind
generally wanders wildly at random. When it thinks of one object, in a
second it leaves that object and runs to another object like a monkey,
then to a third object and so on. It cannot stick to one point.

When the thought runs in one definite groove continuously on one

subject alone like the flow of oil from one vessel to another, then it is
concentration. The aspirant should withdraw his mind whenever it runs
outside and put it in the same groove in the same line of thought on
one subject and on one idea. This is spiritual Sadhana. This is Dharana
and Dhyana. This will result in Samadhi or the superconscious state,
the fourth dimension or Turiya.

The vital point in concentration is to bring the mind to the same point
of object again by limiting its movements in a small circle in the
beginning. That is the main aim. A time will come when the mind will
stick to one point alone. This is the fruit of your constant and
protracted Sadhana. The joy is indescribable now. When you meditate
on a chair, bring all thoughts connected with the chair and dwell on
these ideas. Do not allow any other thought connected with another
object to enter the mind. There should be one line of thought. There
should be one continuity of thought like the steady flow of oil from one
vessel to another vessel, like the continuous sound of a church-bell.
There may be several ideas connected with one subject. This does not
matter. You can reduce the number of ideas and come to one idea of
one subject. When this one idea also dies you get the superconscious
state or Samadhi. When there is one idea it is called Savikalpa Samadhi
which is a lower stage. When this one idea also dies out and when
there is not even a single idea, the mind becomes blank or void. There
is mental vacuity. This is the stage of thoughtlessness of Patanjali

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Maharshi in his Raja Yoga philosophy. You will have to rise above this
blank Vritti and identify yourself with the Supreme Purusha or
Brahman, the silent witness of the mind, who gives power and light to
this mind. Then and then alone you can reach the highest goal of life.

When you concentrate on a chair, do not allow any other thought of

different objects. Again and again bring the mind that wanders to the
object which is chair. When you meditate on a rose, think of rose and
rose alone. When you think of a book, think all that is connected with
the book and nothing outside it. When you think of a radio or talkie,
think of the radio or talkie alone. Exhaust all matters connected with
the subject on hand. You can take any subject that is pleasing to the
mind. Slowly you can take up any subject that is displeasing to the
mind by creating interest in it again and again. You should always
remember the maxim: "One thing at a time and that done well is a
very good rule as many can tell." When you take up any work, apply
your whole heart, full mind and sound to the work. Do it with perfect
concentration. What another can do in six hours you can turn out
within half an hour, smoothly and in a methodical and orderly manner.
This is Yogic activity. You will be taken for an accomplished Yogi. Even
when you study, study the subject with perfect concentration. Do not
allow the mind to wander. You must shut out all external sounds. Fix
the gaze at one point. Do not allow the eyes to wander. When you
study one subject, do not think of a talkie or sweetmeats or a friend.
The whole world must be dead to you for the time being. Such must be
the nature of concentration. It will come to you after some steady and
constant endeavours. Be not troubled. Be not discouraged. There will
be some delay. Wait coolly and patiently. Rome was not built in a day.
It is all a question of time. Do not leave the practice even for a day,
even when you are sick. In your failure lies the secret of your success
and in your weakness the secret of your strength. Plod on. Push on.
Gird up your loins. Nil desperandum. Be bold. March on courageously.
Be cheerful. A brilliant future is awaiting thee. Practise. Feel. Rejoice.
Become a Yogi or a world-figure. I can make you one. Follow me. Be
sincere and earnest. Rise up. Awake. Thy Light has come. O my dear
children of Light and Immortality, Brahmamuhurta is dawning now. It is
3.30 a.m. This is the best time to practise concentration on Atman,
memory and will-culture and to catch hold of the mind. Sit in Virasana
and do rigorous practice now. May success and divine glory attend on
thee. I shall take leave of you now. I shall leave you there. Melt the
bubble mind in Brahman, the ocean of Knowledge, and enjoy Supreme
Bliss.

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Concentration on Anahata Sounds

Dharana is the intense and perfect concentration of the mind upon

some interior or exterior object or sound like Anahata sounds, or any
abstract idea, accompanied by complete abstraction (Pratyahara) from
everything pertaining to the external universe or the world of senses.

Practise Sadhana

Sit in Padma or Siddha Asana. Practise Yoni Mudra by closing the ears
with the thumbs. Hear the internal sound through the right ear. The
sound which you hear will make you deaf to all external sounds. Having
overcome all obstacles, you will enter the Turiya State within 15 days.
In the beginning of your practice, you will hear many loud sounds. They
gradually increase in pitch and are heard more and more subtly. You
should try to distinguish sounds more and more subtle. You may change
your concentration from the subtle to the gross, but you should not
allow your mind to be diverted from them towards other objects.

The mind having at first concentrated itself on any one sound fixes
firmly to that and is absorbed in it. The mind becoming insensible to
the external impressions, becomes one with the sound as milk with
water and then becomes rapidly absorbed in Chidakasa (the Akasa
where Chit prevails). Being indifferent towards all objects, and having
controlled the passions, you should, by continual practice, concentrate
your attention upon the sound which destroys the mind. Having
abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all actions, you should
always concentrate your attention on the sound, and then your Chitta
becomes absorbed in it. Just as the bee drinking the honey alone does
not care for the odour, so the Chitta which is always absorbed in
sound, does not long for sensual objects, as it is bound by the sweet
smell of Nada and has abandoned its fitting nature. The serpent-Chitta
through listening to the Nada is entirely absorbed in it, and becoming
unconscious of everything, concentrates itself on the sound. The sound
serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the maddened elephant-
Chitta-which roves in the pleasure-garden of the sensual objects.

It serves the purpose of a snare for binding the deer-Chitta. It also

serves the purpose of a shore to the ocean-waves of Chitta. The sound
proceeding from Pranava, which is Brahman, is of the nature of
effulgence; the mind becomes absorbed in it; that is the Supreme Seat
of Vishnu. The mind exists so long as there is sound, but with its
cessation, there is that state termed Turiya. This sound is absorbed in

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Brahman and the soundless state is the Supreme Seat. The mind which
along with Prana has its Karmic affinities destroyed by the constant
concentration upon Nada is absorbed in the unstained One. There is no
doubt of it. Being freed from all states and all thoughts whatsoever,
you will remain like one dead. You will become a Mukta. There is no
doubt about this. The body is certainly like a log and does not feel
heat or cold, joy or sorrow. When the spiritual sight becomes fixed
without any object to be seen, when the Prana becomes still without
any effort, and when the Chitta becomes firm without any support, you
become a Brahman (Brahmavid-Brahmaiva Bhavati).

You may experience the tenth sound without the first nine sounds
through the initiation of a Guru. In the first stage, the body becomes
Chin-chini; in the second, there is the (Bhanjana) breaking or affecting
in the body; in the third, there is the (Bhedana) piercing; in the fourth,
the head shakes; in the fifth, the palate produces saliva; in the sixth,
nectar is attained; in the seventh, the knowledge of the hidden things
in the world arises; in the eighth, Paravak is heard; in the ninth, the
body becomes invisible and the pure divine eye is developed; in the
tenth, you attain the state of Para Brahman. When the Manas is
destroyed, when virtues and sins are burnt away, you shine as the
Effulgent, Immaculate, Eternal, Stainless, Suddha Brahman.

Trataka or Gazing

Trataka is steady gazing. Write the word OM in black on the wall. Sit in
front of the drawing. Concentrate on it with open eyes till tears come
in the eyes. Then close the eyes. Visualise the picture of OM. Then
open the eyes and again gaze till lachrymation manifests. Gradually
increase the period. There are students who can gaze for one hour.
Trataka is one of the Shat-Kriyas (six exercises) in Hatha Yoga. Get an
OM picture, fix it on the wall and concentrate on this. Pictures are sold
in the bazaar. Trataka steadies the wandering mind and removes
Vikshepa (tossing of mind). Instead of gazing on OM you may gaze at a
big black dot on the wall. The walls will present a golden colour during
Trataka. Or draw a big black dot on a white paper and fix it on the
wall. This will be a target for the Yogic student to concentrate his
mind upon. Gaze at this black dot on the paper.

You can do Trataka on any picture of the Lord either of Krishna, Rama
or Siva or on Saligram. You can sit in the chair and gaze at the picture
on the wall in front of your eyes. Trataka is the alphabet of

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concentration. It is the first exercise for Yogic students in
concentration.

Trataka with open eyes is followed by visualisation. Visualisation is

calling up of a clear mental image of anything. Trataka and
visualisation do help a lot in concentration.

The mind can also be rendered steady by doing Manasic Puja, by

thinking the attributes of the Lord and by remembering His Lilas.

Practise Trataka for one minute on the first day. Then gradually
increase the period every week. Do not strain the eyes. Do it gently
with ease and comfort, as long as you can conveniently do. Repeat
your Ishta Mantra, Hari Om, Sri Rama or Gayatri during Trataka. In
some people who have weak capillaries, the eyes may become red.
They need not be alarmed unnecessarily. The redness of the eyes will
pass off quickly. Practise Trataka for six months. Then you can take up
advanced lessons in concentration and meditation. Be regular and
systematic in your Sadhana. If there is a break, take up the deficiency
or loss on the next day. Trataka removes many eye-diseases and
ultimately brings in Siddhis.

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